Counterterrorism EffortsBy: Steven Stitt

Turkish Security Forces

Turkish National Police

Gendarmerie

Security forces capture Abdullah Ocalan in Kenya on February 15, 1999

Turkish government had to pressure Syria to expel Ocalan

Hindered the PKK leaderless for a certain amount of time

Villages

Would set up militias to keep the PKK out

Didn’t want to thought of as sympathizers

Didn’t want PKK to destroy their homes

Report suspicious activities to security forces

Turkish Government

Helped to combat recruiting efforts by going after the grievances that PKK sympathizers felt instead of the terrorists themselves

Used the Repentance Law that passed in the 1980s to get ~2,400 terrorist to yield to police forces for a reduced sentence

Originally played by a “no compromise” or “no negotiation” policy

This changed in the early months of 2013 when the Turkish government and the PKK began talks of negotiation

Negotiations

Began talks of negotiations in late December 2012/early 2013

Negotiations about autonomous region and disarmament

Ocalan helped sway the PKK to cooperate with the government

On March 21, 2013 Ocalan’s letter to the people called for a cease-fire, disarmament, and withdrawal from Turkish soil

On April 25 the PKK said it would be withdrawing its forces from Turkey to Northern Iraq